一貫道係為光復後由大陸傳入台灣發展的教派,經多年的演變已成為台灣在地的教派宗教,就其源流為先天道的改革教派之一,並實為無生老母信仰的一支宗派,在信仰上秉持著聖凡兼修、救劫收圓、認母回歸原鄉…等宗教觀念,來推演其宗教的組織、儀式、建築…等各個層面。 本研究將分為佛堂部分與儀式部分,佛堂方面因一貫道秘密的宗教屬性、儀式行為…等影響,故其佛堂空間的發展歷程,以合法化(1987)為界分兩個階段,第一階段為求得生存而變化空間,第二階段隨著合法化後領導核心與組織結構展現其影響力,逐漸發展出某種約定成俗的建築觀念,進而形成現今一貫道佛堂空間的面貌;至於儀式方面敘述一貫道佛規禮節、法會禮節與三表五愿禮節等儀式的展演概況。並以佛堂空間與儀式空間為基礎,就其宗教教義的神聖宇宙觀下,所形成的佛堂建築、儀式行為、活動情形與空間性的展演等現象加以詮釋,更進一步的探討在神聖宇宙觀中落實於佛堂空間與儀式空間的揉合部分。
I Kuan Tao (Religion of One Unity) is one religion propagated into Taiwan from China after Taiwan's restoration from Japan as well as a local religious sect in Taiwan after years of evolution. The source of I Kuan Tao is one of reformed religious sects of Hsien Tien Tao (Way of Former Heaven) as well as one branch of Wu Sheng Lao Mu (Great Mother) with its faith adhering to cultivating holy and ordinary karma (action), disaster salvage and relief as well as recovery of spiritual mind and morality and conduct, and return to roots of Taoist doctrines to deduce each aspect in organization, rites and architecture of religion. This research is divided into two parts in Holy temple and rite. With effects from attributes of secret religion and ritual behavior of I Kuan Tao, the developmental course for space of Holy temple is demarcated into two phases by legalization (1987), with the first phase seeking existence to change the space and the second phase as leadership core and organizational structure revealing its influence following the legalization that gradually develops certain architectural concept accepted through common usage and further forms visage for space of Holy temple of I Kuan Tao nowadays; in the respect of rite, it gives description of status of ritual practices such as etiquettes of I Kuan Tao doctrines, ritual etiquettes, and three thinking standards for talking manner and five virtues by I Kuan Tao. Taking space of Holy temple and ritual space as foundation, this research interprets the architecture of Holy temple, ritual behavior, status of activity, and spatial performance formed in term of the holy cosmology of religious doctrines, and further delves into the incorporated part carried out in space of Holy temple and ritual space in the context of the holy cosmology of religious doctrines.